A systematic review of the effectiveness of bone collectors

Bone collectors are used to harvest bone debris for grafting procedures during implant surgery. The particulate bone debris gathered through filtration has been frequently used in minor regenerative surgical procedures. Nevertheless, the biological potency of such grafts is still unclear. The objective of this study was to systematically review the use of bone collectors in implant dentistry, focusing on the quantity, quality, and bacterial contamination of the bone collected.

Following the production of a detailed protocol, screening and quality assessment of the literature were conducted in duplicate and independently. The outcome measures that were assessed were: (1) quantity of collected debris, (2) quality of the collected bone debris, and (3) bacterial contamination.

There is a limited amount of information on the nature of bone obtained through collectors. Eleven studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Bone collectors are able to retain a small amount of bone for minor surgical procedures. The presence of vital bone cells has not been demonstrated routinely, while consistent bacterial contamination has been observed.

Bone collected through bone filters appears to be sufficient for small regenerative procedures. Clinicians should bear in mind that presence of bacterial pathogens is always shown with the use of bone collectors. Presurgical chlorhexidine oral rinsing and a strict aspiration protocol must be used to minimize the bacterial contamination of the debris collected.

Although bone collectors are capable of amassing small amounts of bone, the vitality of this bone could not be consistently demonstrated and the collected debris was always contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, the bone debris amassed in bone collectors is not an ideal grafting material and should be utilized with caution.